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frankandsue · 01-31-2010, 10:52 AM

fltlevel510 · 01-31-2010, 11:28 AM

Anyone attending the rally interested in Grapefruit? I have one of your standard Florida white grapefruit trees in my back yard that is loaded this year. The fruit is very meaty and semi sweet.I need to get them off the tree this month. I can bring a few bushels if anyone is interested.

Boondocker · 01-31-2010, 11:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fltlevel510

Anyone attending the rally interested in Grapefruit? I have one of your standard Florida white grapefruit trees in my back yard that is loaded this year. The fruit is very meaty and semi sweet.I need to get them off the tree this month. I can bring a few bushels if anyone is interested.

SWEET! You bet, I would love to have some. You Rock!

DaveFL · 01-31-2010, 11:42 AM

From Kentucky? your profile info. lol
I could use some, found when we had an abundance in the past, using a juicer works as it freezes nice.

airdreamers · 01-31-2010, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fltlevel510

Anyone attending the rally interested in Grapefruit? I have one of your standard Florida white grapefruit trees in my back yard that is loaded this year. The fruit is very meaty and semi sweet.I need to get them off the tree this month. I can bring a few bushels if anyone is interested.

Larry ,

You beat me to the grapefruit. We also have a bunch and will bring some for all who want some!

Group,

My wife wants to bring to the rally, "Spaceshot" Roasted Shrimp Cocktail,
"Fuel Injected" Fruit Salad and Baked Pasta w/ "Meteor Sauce". You may need Space suits to eat the "Meteor Sauce" but it will be worth it!

Bill

DaveFL · 01-31-2010, 12:06 PM

Copilot says Yellow rice with sausage and " Blackhole" beans, will be on the menu.

jasper2222 · 01-31-2010, 12:19 PM

Love grapefruit and appreciate any.

thanks,

Richard and Janice

dmoore · 01-31-2010, 01:15 PM

Yummy -- very interested. I can certainly take a few off your hands. Thanks for offering it up.

I am so looking forward to this launch!

See everyone there. Thanks again to Laura -- organizer extraordinaire -- for giving us this wonderful opportunity!

Debbie

BDandTTs · 01-31-2010, 01:27 PM

Yummmmm....yellow grapefruit are the tastiest and yet are seldom found in groceries and fruit stands. Thanks so much for offering to share the harvest.

Looking forward to seeing everyone for blast-off!

Boondocker · 01-31-2010, 01:47 PM

I never know what to bring to pot lucks. How does beans and cornbread strike everyone?

frankandsue · 02-01-2010, 12:59 PM

Less Than One Week to Launch

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 08:47:14 AM CST

At NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, prelaunch activities are in full swing this week with the official launch countdown to space shuttle Endeavour's STS-130 mission set to begin at 2 a.m. EST Feb. 4.

Teams at Launch Pad 39A will be packing the astronauts' spacesuits into Endeavour today.

Meanwhile, the six STS-130 crew members who will fly to the International Space Station entered quarantine yesterday and now are on a sleep schedule to match their evening and overnight work hours during the mission. They will conduct final integrated ascent training in the motion base simulator today at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston and will be flying to Kennedy tomorrow night.

Last week, a water suppression system pipe leaked at Kennedy's Launch Control Center and workers have made progress during the weekend drying walls and carpets. This leak is not expected to hamper the liftoff of Endeavour at 4:39 a.m. EST Feb. 7.

In Long Beach Mississippi pre launch activites are also in full swing for the blastoff of the Airstream Landyacht Clipper Bus toward Kars Park I scheduled for Thrusday morning.

funkill · 02-01-2010, 02:50 PM

(Just a cut-n-paste from the mass email I sent out. I'm just worried one of those PM's isn't going to make it to the intended reciepient.

)
-----------------------------------------------------------
Okay - my worst fear about this Rally is coming to fruition... the Park it is filling rapidly with RVs!

I just met Lyle & Margie over at KARS and we found that it is over 50% filled. Taking into account that a number of sites are out of service, this means there were only about 18 sites open: 2 riverfront, 7 in the South area, 9 in the North area - none are actually together but more scattered. There are a few retired PAFB guys having an annual get-to-gether; others visiting for launch; another just working on his Airstream!

So, the story has changed and now it is looking like a number (if not most) of us might end up without an improved site = no power/no water. There are an additional 10 sites to the South that I was told would not be available at all. However, another camper said that during New Years, KARS did open that area. Who knows if they had operable utilities though... Maybe we could get some $$$ and bribe them?

Please feel free to contact me by email or cell. I'll try to assist. Lyle & Margie have the Guest Pass - so you are welcome to come earlier if your schedule permits. And I may take some extra time off work to head that way as well. Contact me if you plan to come early and we'll work to have someone on-site to bring you in!

Laura

frankandsue · 02-01-2010, 04:56 PM

How will I survive without electricity!!!! I keep saying "I can do it" The generator works but it affects my serenity! We'll manage, Laura, it will all be ok!

fltlevel510 · 02-01-2010, 05:09 PM

Laura,

No need to worry. As long as we have access to the park boondocking is not a problem. Who needs damn electricity anyway?

dmoore · 02-01-2010, 05:16 PM

I certainly agree -- access to the park is the big deal -- we're going to see a shuttle launch!!!!

deauxrite · 02-01-2010, 05:58 PM

I am with the rest of this group. I can live without electricity...or maybe I can run the generator

Anyway, not to worry. We are all in this together!

funkill · 02-02-2010, 05:00 AM

Whew - thanks for the encouragement folks. I tossed and turned all night - I hate that I was soooooooooo wrong. After 11 trips to KARS, I finally see more than 15 trailers. I'm on my way to the park now - to check things out and try to squeeze more info from the girl at the Country Store. Hope to post an update for you all around 10:00-ish.
Laura

funkill · 02-02-2010, 09:02 AM

Okay, here's the scoop... there are about 18 sites with power/water still open. 11 at the South area, 1 riverfront, 6 at the North (2 of these being almost useless due to location of utility pole). It doesn't look like there are that many sites because of the way some of the RVs are already parked.

(The sites are rather close together.) What I didn't realize is that many are actually pull-throughs, with fields on each side of the utility poles (especially in the South area). So, you could actually pull through the entire site, and use the opposite side of the utility pole --- that would give you & your neighbor more room.

Because of the way others are already parked, it's going to take some creative parking our your/our part to access the utilities. Whoever has extensions, please bring them!!!

I pressed the Country Store girl about opening dry camping. She said they wll not allow that until ALL the powered sites are occupied. Even necessitating the creative parking I mentioned. She was unenthused with my questioning but I explained that some folks were planning to travel from across the country and I'd tell them to forget it if they possibly wouldn't have an opportunity to camp at KARS - especially since all the other area campgrounds are already filled and the campers wouldn't have anyplace to go. Her final words were "we won't turn anyone away". There you have it!

Supplements and Clarifications

To avoid difficulty, this is how I'd like to handle "Guest Of" question that you'll be asked on entry/check-in at Country Store:
~ if you arrive on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday --- list Lyle & Margie Van Gessel *
~ if you arrive on Friday or Saturday --- list Laura Funk
* if you know or are with someone else that is gaining membership, please use them instead!! Just to reduce any suspicion and possible snags. I've found that some of the guards at KSC take pleasure in being difficult.

landmark for Hall Road/KARS - the intersection of SR-3/Hall is marked by a stoplight, a sign for KSC Recreation Area on the northeast corner and a Circle K convenience store on the southwest corner.

Hall Road is a long 2-lane road, ending at the Banana River. About 3/4 the way down the road there is a sign that says "Road Closed 1000 feet". I have no idea what that means - that's about when the road ends at the river though

Once you enter KARS park, you will be stopped by a guard at the boat basin. New procedure: you will need to fill out a short form listing your name, name of member you are "Guest Of" (see above), or your membership number, and tag number (vehicle I presume, it isn't clear), and a few other simple questions.

KARS Park is not actually on the Kennedy Space Center. It is a NASA owned facility, about 5 miles south of the Space Center. It takes a person pretty high up the ladder to get a non-employee on the Center! That would not be me.

It is not the best view possible. If you want a better, unobstructed view, I suggest you head to west to highway US-1 and then head north. Just about anywhere along US-1 is a good view. I can give you better locations at the Rally. There are a number of parks, parking lots and fields in Titusville that provide a nice view (in addition to the SR-406 causeway). For a night launch though, you're not going to see much until it actually *lights* - then the view is essentially the same at KARS! You'll see the Shuttle through the trees just a few seconds after it clears the launch pad.

Laura

frankandsue · 02-02-2010, 10:13 AM

Just as long as they let us in on Friday and a place to put this 36ft thing we will be ok. Is everybody who owns a recreational vehicle in the United States of America either going or already in Florida this weekend? There is nothing open anywhere.

Super Bowl, Daytona Week, Disneyites, and Launch people all seem to be heading that way.

funkill · 02-02-2010, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by frankandsue

Just as long as they let us in on Friday and a place to put this 36ft thing we will be ok. Is everybody who owns a recreational vehicle in the United States of America either going or already in Florida this weekend? There is nothing open anywhere.

Super Bowl, Daytona Week, Disneyites, and Launch people all seem to be heading that way.

I don't think they have spots for 36' - only 34' and 38' spots left. Can you take a couple feet off, or borrow a couple from a neighbor?

Seriously though, you gotta big one. Cant wait to see it! You shouldn't have any trouble in the south-bound areas - lots of land. A little wet right now, but has cleared up and is good for a couple days. I've never found it to be soft. I'm sure you could find a spot if you tried but, on the whole, it's pretty firm.

Laura